Abu Dhabi: Two men have been arrested for ATM machine fraud, Saudi police said.
The men, a Yemeni in his 20s and a Somali in his 30s, allegedly defrauded the elderly while they were making cash withdrawals from ATMs, said Major Khaled Al Kreidis, assistant media spokesman for the Riyadh police.
Offering to help the victims,the men allegedly replaced their cards after obtaining confidential data, and then made cash withdrawals and purchases, Police seized in their possession 37 ATM cards, 10 mobile phones, gold jewellery, and 31,798 riyals. The value of the purchases carried out through the stolen cards was 720,000 riyals.
The men were referred to the Public Prosecution pending further investigation and trial, Major Al Kreidis said.
Police advised members of the public not to reveal their pin numbers or accept help from strangers. “A bank customer who meets any problem with an ATM machine should telephone the number posted on the machine,” he said.
They warned people to stay alert of similar ATM attacks, where criminals physically take cards.
Scammers often work in teams and they rely on distraction to catch their victims out, police warned.
Police advise it’s a good idea not to use cash machines near a group of people who are inexplicably loitering.
